October 2011
Lake Travis
Economic Impact Report

Commentary

Austin American Statesman
Monday, June 14, 2010
See this Op-Ed on Statesman.com

Trust and Credibility in Your Elected Officials

Trust and credibility are what taxpayers must have in their elected officials. Voter education and understanding of the actions of a governing body are also responsibilities of both the voters and the elected officials. The recent criticism of the Travis County Commissioners Court regarding decisions related to bond projects is unfounded and lacks accurate information. It is important that voters have a full understanding of such actions.

Any proposed project will have those who support it and those who do not. There will always be some who are disappointed in the decision - maybe even angry. I understand their disappointment and emotions. However, a good governing body does not make its decisions based on the emotion it might generate in some people but rather it makes the most thoughtful and best decision it can for the majority it represents. Those decisions are affected by many factors.

Needs, costs and conditions can change greatly over a period of years; therefore, flexibility is built into the bond process. The bond projects mentioned, 45SW and the Hamilton Pool Road engineering design, are in my precinct and it is my responsibility to raise a flag if conditions have changed. In both cases, economic conditions and decisions by other entities have affected the appropriate timing of these projects and the responsible expenditure of taxpayer funds.

In the case of 45SW, Travis County voters approved $3,525,000 in bonds in 1997 to acquire right-of way, which has been purchased. TXDOT was supposed to build it as a free parkway " . . . to provide a bypass to relieve congestion of trucks and vehicles coming through neighborhoods along Brodie Lane". Because of constraints on transportation funding, 45SW is now proposed as a toll road. No study yet demonstrates that commuters would pay the tolls and avoid Brodie. SH130 was intended to take the truck traffic off I-35. Have you noticed a decrease in the number of 18-wheelers on I-35? It is irresponsible to spend $100,000,000 on 45SW without effectively justifying it. Meanwhile, there are other projects of much more demonstrated need and much higher priority that must be built first, like increasing vehicle capacity on south MOPAC and improvements to the Y at Oak Hill. CAMPO and TXDOT have demonstrated they cannot set and keep priorities and recent indications have been that 45SW would be built before these projects. This was the basis for my motion for Travis County to recommend removal of 45SW from the CAMPO 2035 Plan. Brodie still has serious problems and Travis County will continue to seek and employ solutions for its congestion and safety issues. Indeed, a number of projects are already in the pipeline.

The Hamilton Pool Road design project is quite dissimilar to 45SW. Though strongly unpopular with residents, the Hamilton Pool Road (HPR) engineering design was part of the 2005 road bond package containing 21 projects. The Precinct 3 commissioner at that time had requested it be placed in the package. At the time that project was conceptualized, the economy was booming, subdivisions were exploding in far southwest Travis County and LCRA was planning a surface water line to the area. Several large HPR landowners were intent on developing their properties and the water line was necessary, along with road improvements. No one knew that shortly thereafter LCRA would stop construction of the water line, far short of this stretch of HPR, and get out of that type of business. Likewise, no one knew there would be a serious economic downturn bringing growth to a halt. The HPR bond project was only for road design, as the actual voter authorization for construction has never been obtained. Current conceptual level estimates for right-of-way and construction are $14.4 million. With transportation funding in serious trouble - even for the most needed of projects-- construction funding for HPR is nowhere on the horizon. Spending $922,000 for engineering design, now, when construction is likely decades away is not good stewardship of taxpayer dollars.

Economic conditions are causing all governing bodies to take a serious look at expenditures and make tough decisions. Revenues for upcoming years are still uncertain. Travis County revenues have remained essentially flat the past two years and property values have fallen slightly this year. This is not the time to be creating additional taxpayer debt (spending bond money) when a project is not a documented critical need for the near term. I expect that most voters demand this level of responsible decision-making from their elected officials and I believe that the trust they put in electing us is demonstrated through these actions.

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